Why does my dog suddenly yelp, tuck tail, and run in pain, then fine?

Lola certainly sounds uncomfortable! Discomfort with movement of the tail can have a variety of causes, including spinal/vertebral pain, anal gland problems (impacted, abscessed, or simply full), urinary tract infections, etc. From your description of yelping and panting, it does sound as though Lola is painful. She should see her vet for an exam. Your vet will be able to perform a rectal exam to check her anal glands, neurologic and orthopedic exam to check her back and tail function, and even a urinalysis to check for signs of infection.

Hugo could have some anal gland discomfort or back or neck pain causing him to cry out. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian- they can check his anal glands and look for a source of pain. They might recommend some tests or starting some pain medication.

Poor Little Man. I recommend to have an x-ray to look for evidence of disease in his spine. This sudden pain could come from many things including intervertebral disc disease, discospondylitis, an anal gland infection or a pinched nerve. The x-ray could show evidence of the first two diseases. Discuss start medications like steroids and muscle relaxants with your vet as well. Have the anal glands checked as well. An omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs may also help but will not control the symptoms alone. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It's possible that he has some back or neck pain. This is one of the more common causes of sudden yelps of pain that don't seem related to anything specific. It does sound like Oreo is likely having some pain, so I would recommend that you take him in to see your veterinarian today if at all possible. They will do a physical exam and determine whether he's painful and try to localize the cause better. They can send him with some medications to make him more comfortable and may recommend other treatments as well (acupuncture, therapeutic laser, etc). Until you can get him in to see your vet, avoid giving him any over the counter human pain medication, as there is not a safe option to use and giving something like aspirin at home will limit the choices your vet has to treat his pain when you take him in. Also, until you can get him in for an exam, keep him exercise restricted; don't take him on walks, don't encourage "tug or war," chasing a ball, or other play. I hope that helps you! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If this has only been going on for a day or two, 'swimmer's tail' or 'limber tail' is a possibility. This is a swelling of the muscles at the base of the tail that can result in significant pain, and it can seem like the dog is unable to move it's tail. An injury would be less likely with no history of trauma. Spinal/lumbar pain is also possible. Anal gland inflammation could also cause some discomfort although it would be unusual to cause such extreme pain. Unfortunately I think a physical examination by a veterinarian would be necessary to diagnose the problem.

Your pup could have impacted anal sacs, intestinal worms, back pain, or hip pain among other causes leading to these symptoms. He does sound very uncomfortable based on your description, and based on that, I would have him seen by an ER vet or find a vet on call to see him right away. The vet can diagnose what is causing his symptoms, and can treat him for them.

Tucking the tail and running are normally signs of fear in dogs - it sounds like something may have frightened her. She could also be in pain or not feeling well for some reason. If she doesn't begin to act more normal over the next few hours and you don't see any reason that she would be afraid, I would recommend having her examined by a vet to check for a medical problem causing her to act this way.